Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen were nearly lost to South African cricket.
In 2015, the Titans duo were sharing a two-bedroom flat near SuperSport Park in Centurion and living off between R6,000 and R8,000 per month.
In early 2016, Klaasen wanted to call it quits.
“It was tough for me,” he explained in a lengthy interview with Rapport newspaper. “Me and [Titans coach] Rob [Walter] were sitting on the grass banks of SuperSport Park and I told him I wanted to stop playing cricket because I couldn’t get a contract. Rob talked me into staying for another year.”
Two years later, Klaasen made his Proteas debut.
Meanwhile, Markram, who captained his country to the U19 World Cup title in 2014, considered going overseas.
“After the U19 World Cup, I played club and amateur cricket for two years,” he told Rapport. “I couldn’t get into the Titans team. I understood why because there were so many stars [like AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Heino Kuhn, Farhaan Behardien and Albie Morkel]. I considered going to Bloem because there was an opportunity [at the Knights]. However, I decided to stay and study [at Tuks].
“It was tough. It was three years that I didn’t really get out anywhere. You feel trapped. I just wanted to move to give myself a chance.”
Markram considered opportunities in New Zealand, and getting a Dutch passport (through his Dutch grandparents).
“I just wanted to make a living out of cricket,” he said. “All the players from that [SA] U19 team got franchise contracts, except me and Corbin Bosch, who was still with Tuks. One night we had a braai at our flat and Fudgie [Behardien] said to me: ‘Guys, you just have to stick with it. Don’t think about moving. If you make it at the Titans, you have a foot in the door to take it further.'”
Markram did stick with it at the Titans, and made his Proteas debut in 2017.
